Evaluation Criteria for Websites

Evaluation Criteria for Websites:

Basically the user needs to examine every web page with these criteria in mind:

1. Authority  Is the author or organization responsible for the page clearly identified?  Are the author’s credentials on the subject stated? o Are you able to identify biographical or background information on the author or organization.  Are you given contact information for the author?  Where is the website? gov, edu, com, org?  What is the author's relationship to the organization? o Is the author selling something?

2. Accuracy  Can the information be verified in other sources?  Were established research standards used?  Are references cited?  Is the document well constructed (grammar, spelling)?

3. Objectivity  Where is the website? gov, edu, com?  Is any potential bias acknowledged upfront? Are there advertisements on the site? Do the advertisements have a direct relationship to the content of the site?  Is the page or site promoting a particular viewpoint?  If site is interactive, are you informed about how any information you give will be used?  Are value statements made in absolutes (best, worst, 100%, etc.)?  Is information withheld and only views or facts supporting the sponsor presented?

4. Currency  Is the information clearly dated?  When was the last revision?  Are the site links up to date?

5. Coverage  What is the reading level of the material?  Are there references for more information?  Is the presentation appropriate for the target audience?

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http://www.uab.edu/lister/evalnet.htm Different types of Web Pages There are some basic types of web pages. Each has a different purpose.

 Advocacy usually an organization. The address often ends with .org  Business or Commercial usually trying to sell a product or service at .com  News such as a newspaper, magazine or television station. Often has a print counterpart.  Informational such as a dictionary, thesaurus, directory or a government organization. The address often ends in .gov or .edu .mil  Personal a page mounted by an individual. Usually but not always .com or .net

It is useful when evaluating Web pages to recognize their purpose.

An Advocacy Web Page is one sponsored by an organization (.org) attempting to influence public opinion (that is, one trying to sell ideas).

Business and Commercial pages must often be viewed like “infomercials” There purpose is to sell a product.

The purpose of a news page is to provide very current information.

An Informational Web Page is one whose purpose is to present factual information. These pages are sponsored by educational institutions or government agencies.

A Personal Home Page is one published by an individual who may or may not be affiliated with a larger institution. Anyone may publish a personal web page for any purpose. Although the URL Address of the page may have a variety of endings (e.g. .com, .edu, net), a tilde (~) is frequently embedded somewhere in the URL so the sponsoring organization may have no responsibility for the information on the home page.

What if I can’t find the author or sponsor of a web site? If there is no “Home” connection on a Web page it is sometimes necessary to track down the organization responsible for a Web page by shortening the address.

http://www.obligation.org/trashtv.html may be shortened to http://www.obligation.org to learn about the organization.

Who Is? http://www.allwhois.com/ or http://www.internic.net/whois.html lets you see who has registered the domain on the Internet. Not always informative but sometimes interesting.. Try searching: whitehouse.org to see the sponsor If you are suspicious about information you may want to “google” the author or the organization sponsoring the page.

Some of this information is copyright Wolfgram Memorial Library, Widener University, Chester, PA. Wolfgram Memorial Library,Widener University URL for this page: http://www.science.widener.edu/~withers/perspg.htm

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